


I Have An Announcement

by dianano



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Angst, Gen, I'm Not Copying MASH No Sir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-07-07 16:44:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19855585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dianano/pseuds/dianano
Summary: "2260The USS Discovery has been converted to a normal research vessel under the supervision of Captain Michael Burnham and Commander Nhan. On this occasion, Commodore Saru is visiting with his aides, Commanders Owosekun and Detmer and Lieutenant Tilly, to mark Discovery’s refit."Tilly has to make a tragic announcement.





	I Have An Announcement

**_2260_ **

_The USS Discovery has been converted to a normal research vessel under the supervision of Captain Michael Burnham and Commander Nhan. On this occasion, Commodore Saru is visiting with his aides, Commanders Owosekun and Detmer and Lieutenant Tilly, to mark Discovery’s refit._

For old time’s sake, Michael had set up the futon in the Captain’s quarters for her old roommate to spend the night. Tilly being Tilly, she’d brought all of her memorabilia from their time bunking together, but they were still in the case for both of them to review together when Michael finished up her shift. Tilly had resolved to go up there in a bit, now that most of Discovery’s bridge crew had reunited on there. And if the gentle swaying of the padd on top of the case was any indication, Keyla was probably teaching the current helmsman all the fun maneuvers one could do in a Crossfield. She just needed to tidy herself up and put on her nice new gold jacket. And brush her hair. It was a mess.

Speaking of that padd, Commander Saru had left it with her, with orders to, in his words, “come tell me if another Klingon War starts, okay?” Every brass she’d met had one, usually sicced on their assistant. All their communications went through there, and Tilly had taken it as a bit of an honor that Saru had entrusted her with the padd. It had never gone off before, though. Usually only the really bad news came through the padd.

*beep beep*

….

Well, she absolutely jinxed that one.

* * *

Joann, despite all best efforts, was bored. She drummed two fingers against the console and resisted the urge to spin uncontrollably around in her chair like she’d done in the days of Pike and Saru’s captaincy. It was all of three years ago, but it seemed like forever when she was back on the bridge. So many memories of those years. Repetitive ones- get yelled at by Lorca, trade blushing glances with Keyla, do the impossible, rinse and repeat. Now Lorca was dead, Keyla had a tritanium ring on her finger that Joann had made using Discovery’s hull, and they had boring desk jobs working as Saru’s attachés. Rinse and repeat?

Bryce looked bored too. The comms station didn’t fit two people, so he was stuck hovering like Joann was and making small talk with Stamets. Speaking of engagements, did Paul finally figure his shit out with Hugh? Joann’s eyesight wasn’t strictly up to regs, but she thought she could see a ring. She’d ask Keyla later. Or better yet, Tilly. She was always up in people’s business, even if she and Stamets had drifted apart. Where was she, though? She’d promised to come to the bridge, and you could usually hear her coming from decks away.

Actually, it was only when Michael noticed that Joann noticed. Through a crowded bridge, Michael had seen that Tilly had entered, just… silently? That was somewhat uncharacteristic.

“Tilly,” Michael chided gently, “You’re out of uniform.”

Most of the crew wasn’t paying attention, but Joann was curious now. She peered over Nilsson’s shoulder to spot her friend. And sure enough, Tilly’s jacket was hastily thrown on, hair unkempt. And more than anything, she looked shell-shocked, holding Saru’s padd in her hand.

“Tilly?”

“I have... an announcement...” she muttered. Then, louder: “I have an announcement.”

Usually, when Tilly burst onto the bridge akimbo, it was because she’d solved some incredible math problem or reinvented sliced bread to save a prewarp society. This wasn’t that. 

“Fleet Captain Christopher Pike-” (now that got people’s attention. The chatter stopped.) “Was stationed on a cadet cruise in the Sol system. There was a reactor explosion.”

…

“He managed to get all of the cadets out of Engineering before the radiation became lethal.”

…

“He’s in a coma. The doctors think he won’t wake up.”

...

Silence. Tilly walked away.

_Fin._

**Author's Note:**

> I started watching M*A*S*H in, like, 2012, but Henry's death made me sob like it had just aired. Then I rewatched the scene last week and my thoughts immediately went to "wait, this can be a Pike parallel!"
> 
> So all the same commentary about Henry Blake's death applies here. Also, Jola mentions because I can.
> 
> Peace n' Love,  
> \- S


End file.
